Jonah and the Blue Dress

         I was really excited about my new blue dress that I had purchased for a deal of $20 at Nordstrom Rack. So, imagine my disappointment when I washed and dried it for the first time yesterday and saw that it had shrunk to a size that would only be appropriate for a 10-year old! (Although its label read "tumble dry low", I guess I still shouldn't have put it in the dryer.) Anyway, once I saw that it had shrunk, I immediately hopped online to search for ways to "unshrink" clothing. I followed some interesting directions, including soaking the dress in water and hair conditioner, and put a lot of effort in stretching it out. I even stretched it to the point where I made 3 small holes in it, which I then had to spend more time stitching up. While the dress is now at a wearable size, its shape just isn't the same as it was originally. ::sigh:: All of this got me thinking: is this dress really worth all the time and effort I spent fixing it?

         Anyway, reflecting on this incident this morning, I am reminded of the story in Jonah 4. At the start of the passage, Jonah is very happy and satisfied with a plant that is giving him shade. When it soon withers away, however, he becomes very upset, even though he hadn't done anything to make it grow in the first place. Aside from shelling out several dollars, I did not do much to get my dress, yet I felt so disappointed when it was messed up. Certainly, God feels much more sad when the people he has devoted so much love and care for don't know Him or aren't walking with Him. I've had to ask myself, "Do I sweat the small stuff, or do I invest time and effort where it counts?" Also, I generally invest time in things I care about, but I think it sort of works the other way as well...I care about things that I have already put a lot of myself into. Thus, another question comes up: "Have I invested enough of myself into caring for people who haven't heard about the Lord or who have strayed away from Him, that I truly care whether they end up with Him?"